Our Story and Team

The Destin Beach Ultra runs were founded in 2010 as the Destin 50 Beach Ultra, by Zane Holscher, to raise funds for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF). Friends at the Ft Walton Beach Sailfish Club introduced Zane to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation when he moved with the military to the Destin area in 2007. As he learned more about the SOWF and how it helped children like the son of his fallen US Air Force Academy classmate, Derek Argel, Zane was on a mission to aid the SOWF.

Pacing for his cousin, Jake Holscher, at the 2007 Leadville 100 provided his first exposure to the ultra running world. The comrade and amazing human spirit he witnessed that day had Zane immediately hooked on the world of ultra running. Ultimately a long run on the Destin beaches lead to the idea of merging the SOWF, ultra running, and that very beach.

Supported by the volunteer labor of numerous friends and family (and a generous credit card limit) Zane held the first race in 2011. Although that first race ended a little in the red column of the budget, the runners had raised over $20,000 for the SOWF through donations from their friends and family!

Due to its new status as the 'World's Longest Beach Run', the unique restaurant catered aid stations, and the positive feedback from all the runners- word spread quickly about the race. The momentum only increased when the Destin 50 landed on the cover of the April 2012 issue of UltraRunning Magazine. Now entering its eighth year, the race is still run completely by a volunteer staff and makes very little profit as a stand-alone race.

Our mission remains simple- To provide ultra runners with the best race experience possible, at the best price, so that they can use the Destin Beach Ultras as a visible and well respected platform to individually raise funds for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.To date, our runners have raised over $350,000 for the SOWF.